


That Unnecessarily Complicated Get Together Fic

by Lilablassblau



Series: Bartender!AU [3]
Category: Castle
Genre: Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 15:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6246214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilablassblau/pseuds/Lilablassblau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one, where it takes Kevin weeks to agree to a date, makes good and bad coffee, Javier is a man on a mission, Kevin's 'deranged' family witnesses their first kiss and Castle pushes too far. </p><p>Warning: Too many overprotective people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Unnecessarily Complicated Get Together Fic

**Author's Note:**

> As always my thanks to the wonderful detective_rysposito.
> 
> That part got a bit darker then intended, but I think it turned out alright.

“Kevin?”

Castle peaked through the door into the hallway.

“Hello?”

He carefully closed the door behind himself, taking everything in.

Pictures of Kevin and Espo hung on the right wall. At holidays, parties and one with an elderly lady, hugging Kevin to herself, and looking a lot like Espo. And yeah, a rather big one with what had to be the Ryan-clan. Kevin sat somewhere on the right middle on a heavy, wooden table, knees drawn up, Espo stood behind him, arms across his shoulders. Next to them was a grey haired man. Even though he had joined Kevin on the table in a somewhat lax posture, the whole posture screamed cop to Castle. And having both men next to each other, it was obvious that Kevin was Patrick Ryan’s kid.

“In the kitchen,” Ryan yelled from somewhere in the flat. It was comfy in here, well maintained, obviously hand picked furnitures, everything sat in warm, earthy tones. If Castle had to guess, he’d pick Kevin as the interior designer of the couple.

“Nice place you got. And surprisingly spacey,” Castle commented.

Kevin stood at the high table in the open kitchen, smiling at his visitor. It was the first time Castle saw him in jeans and a simple grey wifebeater. He was surprised to see some clear defined muscles on those arms. Someone was working out.

“Ah yeah, when we saw the listing, we sank our teeth in it. And it might have helped that Javi helped the real estate agent a couple of years ago.”

Castle chuckled and put his coat over one high chair. “Can’t be that cheap though. I mean nice neighbourhood, even a doorman…” His voice trailed off, but he only received an amused snort for it. Kevin was pouring something from a steaming pot into two bowls.

“That all you got, Mr. Bestseller? With the praises Kate sings about you, I thought you picked up more about how to conduct a proper interrogation.”

Kevin picked up two bowls and mentioned with his head to follow him to the dining area, a table with a bench around two sides on the wall and several chairs. He then got two spoons and two glasses with what Castle assumed were smoothies.

Castle had felt his eyebrows jumping up. Kate Beckett sang praises about him? When, where, why? Just when he was about to jump into the questions, he saw that now familiar glint in those blue eyes again.

“Well, I can spot a deflection when I see one,” he replied and Kevin snorted once more. “Touché. Now, Mr. Castle--”

“Rick!”

“Rick, I paid most of the flat with the book sales, Before you ask, yes my book sales, I have a successful tumblr about New York’s bar culture and after much demand published a book out if it. It’s not nearly close to your sales, but it was enough to pay a big chunk of that place. And yes, I photograph and get tips and have good connections where to get the drink of your taste.”

Oh wow, who would have thought. Kevin Ryan, the night-life guru. “So bartender by night, tumblr-star by day?” Kevin chuckled to that, while chewing on his chilli. A chilli that was a level of awesome, he started to think, Kevin was too talented for his own good.

“Good, huh?” Kevin pointed with his spoon to Castle’s bowl and then got another bite.

”Hell yeah, you seem to have many talents.”

Now, Kevin shook his head. “Javi made it. I provide the booze, he cooks. And everybody lives.”

Espo cooked? Manly, ‘no time for girly nonsense’- Espo actually got behind the stove and cooked portions big enough so his spouse could eat some the next day?

“Yeah, he cooks, Rick. Damn well, I might add,” said Kevin with a dry voice after watching Castle carefully.

“So, you wanted to hear my side of the story.”

Castle opened his iPad, this time he was prepared. “Yes, Ike did mention a few things, but I think you could add some dimensions to it. This character I have, Miguel--.”

“Miguel?!” Kevin interrupted with obvious glee. He leaned forward, nearly knocking over his empty bowl, this bright grin on his face. Yeah, he could definitely see what Espo saw in him.

“You don’t like Miguel?”

Kevin chuckled. “I don't mind it, but Javi will hate it.”

 

  
**************************************

 

“Ma, I like it there. No, you don’t have to send Sean-- Jeez, Ma, I’m 27, I don’t need a babysitter.”

Kevin loved his family. He did! Honestly! Being the youngest however and with a childhood in and out of hospitals, everybody missed the part, where he had grown up. And, yeah, that period, in which he definitely made no one proud of him, didn’t help with it either.

He looked out of his room, again rain, and sighed, while his mother kept on rattling of reasons why he should take a proper office job-- “You were so good at school, honey.” -- and move closer to his parents.

He was vaguely happy where he was now, though. Or, let’s say on the right track. He had a regular gig at that fancy five star hotel and charmed rich girls with his piano play, and the bar he worked at paid rather nicely as well. So, why couldn’t his parents be happy-- “And what about that Chuck-kid? He was such a nice, young gentleman.”

Apparently they had gone off to their next favourite topic of contempt- Kevin’s lack of a romantic life. At least, his Ma had accepted that he liked men more than her choice of ‘girls she knew from sunday mass’. And yeah, with Jenny engaged she finally had gotten the message that no, they were not ‘childhood sweethearts meant to be’.

Kevin picked up a few books to put it on the cramped board. He really needed better or rather more furniture. “Ma, I’m okay, I promise. I’m not involved in something illegal. I’ll come to Sunday dinner.”

Finally, the doorbell saved him. “Ma, someone is at the door.”

He hold up the phone, when he answered the speaker. “Yeah?”

“Kevin Ryan?”

He remembered that voice, in fact he would remember that voice everywhere even if he only met the guy once. And he might have bragged to Jenny about him. That didn’t explain why he was here though, so far away from his precinct?

“Yeah?”

“It’s Detective Esposito, you forgot your clothing.”

Kevin knew he was gaping. “Ma, I gotta go. Love you,” he said into the phone, not caring one bit that he would have to answer for that later that weekend. He buzzed his visitor in and looked around his place. Almost no clothing lying around. He peeked into the mirror. Almost no scruff. Ah well, let’s hope he had read the situation right.

 

**************************************

 

“Illegal?”

Kevin leaned back and shrugged. “Back in highschool I was always sick, they didn’t realize that it was my diabetes. My heart was acting up and I often had infections and whatever could jump me. So, no running around outside or going out. Let’s say it didn’t help my popularity, but my computer skills.”

Rick winced in sympathy. Whenever Rick had met Kevin so far, he had always been on the move. He could only imagine how awful it must have been being a teenager. And tinkering around with computers could only help so much--

Rick looked up from his Pad. “That’s how you knew to get into my phone, you were a hacker!”

Kevin looked a bit sheepish. “Oh well, needed to know if I still got it in me,” he grinned.

“A good one?”

“Yeah, I guess. The guys teaching me thought so. It was nice to be praised for something, and not only being reminded to take your meds,” he shrugged.

Thoughtfully Rick chewed on his last bits of chilli. “So, what did you do?”

“I hacked into banks?” Kevin scratched his neck. Rick winced, knowing already where that story would end. “How bad was it?”

Kevin looked down the hallway, where all the pictures of his family hang. “500 hours of community service, house arrest and being an even bigger disappointment to Captain Ryan.” He shrugged.

Who would have figured - sunny, gentle Kevin being the black sheep of the cop-family.

“So, when you had met Espo--.”

Kevin shook his head. “Nah, we are good since my return to the US,” he said.

“Return?”

Kevin chuckled. “Ah, one story at the time, Mr. Castle,” he said.

On his pad he underlined the words 'return to US?'

“Okay, well, you, Prince Charming, your doorstep.”

 

***************************

 

Detective Esposito, Javier as Kevin liked to call him in his mind, walked down the hallway, when he finally opened the door. He looked as fine as he remembered.  
  
And then he remembered Sean’s warning. “Beagan,” Sean had said with his no nonsense cop-voice. “He better had not hit on you.”

“Why?”

“He has a reputation and my baby brother will not be a part of that.” And yeah, that’s when he hang up on his ridiculous, big brother.

“Hi, detective. I could have picked it up. You have my number and I would have brought over your stuff in exchange,” Kevin grinned. Damn, stop being so obvious. He tried to lean against the door, the way he saw his cop-sibling leaning against things when trying to be aloof and cool. And yes, he never bought it either, but it was worth a try.

Javier chuckled and winked at him. “Oh well, I was in the neighbourhood and a certain someone told me the best mushu pork is around the corner, so I figured let’s pop by and save my witness the trouble.”

Kevin raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest. “The 12th is at least five blocks away,” he then said and enjoyed the blush darkening the others cheeks.

Javier caught himself very quickly though and leaned close. “Well, maybe I needed an excuse to drop by.”

Kevin blinked. Yeah, he was definitely being hit on and as nice as that felt maybe Sean was right and Kevin was one of many potential booty calls. He narrowed his eyes. He hated it, when his family intervened in his personal life, which only was every damn single time. Maybe he could test Sean’s theory and in a few weeks he would bring a brand new boyfriend, respectable and all, to Cousin Sandra’s wedding. Third wedding, my dear, third, an irritating inner voice supplied, which sounded a lot like his mother.

“Uhm, Kevin?”

Damn it, he had done it again, lost track and now the potential, super hot boyfriend thought he was a wacko.

“Uhm, come in. I made bad coffee?”

Javier chuckled and pushed by him way closer than was needed. “Way to a cop's heart, they say.”

 

  
**********************************************

 

  
Castle couldn’t help the occasional laughter during Kevin’s story. His family sounded a bit like a menace, straight out of any good sitcom, but also like they loved their youngest to pieces and would hurt anyone, who would dare hurting him. He really needed to get Espo a medal or something equivalent to honor his bravery.

“You, bartender extraordinaire, make bad coffee?”

Kevin put together his bowls and scrunched his nose as if still remembering the bad beverage. “Nah, but budget was a bit tight for a good coffee that month. At least--.”

“Corazón?” Espo’s voice interrupted Kevin’s explanation. He came into the dining area blinking at Castle. “Yo, Castle, you stalking my husband?”

Quickly Castle pointed at said husband. Yeah, he was a wimp, but when it came to Kevin, Castle knew he was on probation and under close scrutiny by very scary cop-spouse.

“You invite strange men to our home, Kev?” There was a clear smile in Espo’s voice, while he bent down to kiss him. He kissed him very long, maybe a bit too long and very likely with tongue?

“Uh, guys?”

And there was a hand in Espo’s short hair and Espo crowded even more in on Kevin, who chuckled through their nauseating sweet and way too intimidate greeting.

Finally, Espo let go, winking at Kevin, who blushed with a blissed out look on his face. When the Hispanic finally turned to Castle again, he kept one arm around Kevin, who leaned into his side. “My home, my husband, my way of greeting him,” he then said, earning an eyeroll from Kevin, who shoved him.

“Give me my promised donuts, you over-bearing neanderthal,” he then said and with a grin, Espo actually dropped a small white box in front of him.

After changing into something more comfortable, Espo joined them at the table, sitting next to Kevin, who had put a bottle of beer on the table for him.

Miguel so far had only been a tough homicide detective in his drafts and he was almost done with the story, but he would be damned, if he would not put this sweet love-story into his Nikki Heat-novel. Maybe a witness or the newest addition to the team, a witty techie with awesome hacker skills.

“So, harassing Kevin for information I assume?”

Castle chuckled. “Well, I at least got invited before showing up at his doorstep.”

To that, Javier just grinned. “Had to secure that one for myself,” he then said and draped his arm around the slightly smaller man’s hips, who happily munched on his donuts, while again rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, you sure, it was not the other way around?”

Espo took a sip from his bottle and just shrugged. “As long as it got me here by his side, I don’t care who did what.”

Kevin let out an “Aww, baby, you old romantic.” And leaned over to kiss him once again.

“Come on, ‘Sito, you know I need something. Don’t want Kevin to dominate your story, do you?”

“Yeah, Miguel, tell me how you fell for Sean,” Kevin quipped with a grin.

“Sean?” was the synchronized reply by Espo and Castle, but Kevin just waved them away. “Yeah, I know you want to include my Irish nutcases I call family and before you give me a too blatantly Irish name like ‘Seamus’ I thought I save us all the trouble. Back to you, babe, I want to hear your side.”

And even though Kevin appeared so fluffy and adorable, and escaped neither of the other men that he took over the conversation and got them right where he wanted them. Maybe, it was just because of Kevin actually being very fluffy and adorable.

“You mean the part of the story, where you made me beg like an idiot until I got a proper date?” Surprisingly, there was no real heat behind it and Castle was almost certain that Espo knew that Kevin had been actually really afraid to end up being just another fling of Espo’s and then having to go to cousin Sandra’s wedding alone - again.

“Okay, Castle, but if I read anything weird in this little book of yours, we will talk,” Espo replied, obviously giving up on keeping Kevin out of the storyline and if only to keep his ray of sunshine happy.

 

  
*************************************

 

Three weeks, three weeks since Kevin, or Kev, had invited him in for coffee. And since then Kevin had managed to convince him that he usually could do so much better with drinks, hot or cold, than this brown abomination.

And since then they had met five times actually. Once at Kevin’s shift, once before the precinct to help Kevin pick out the right gift for his sister, once they ran into each other at the street and they had coffee and yeah, once they went to watch that strange and quirky independent movie Kevin loved and left Javier confused, once Kevin made him really good, no scratch that, unbelievably great coffee, back at Javier’s place and then the last time to stroll through the park.

So far no real kisses, just chaste pecks on cheeks. It was not that Kevin was not into guys-- over coffee he had talked rather freely about his ex-boyfriends, three of them, and only two girlfriends. Kevin seemed to harbor the ridiculous idea that either of them had been above his league. Maybe he had been an awkward teen. Or maybe he had been even one of those kids that were ugly until they reached puberty and then bam - Javier seriously doubted that. Speculation aside how awkward, socially inept or not popular Kevin used to be, nowadays he was too popular for his own good. So, whatever it was, Javier would give all he got to make sure Kevin knew how great he was. And if that meant a lot of the old fashioned wooing, he would take it gladly.

So he kept texting him, ignoring the smirks of his partners. “How’s my favourite bartender today?”

It took ten agonizing minutes before he got a reply. “Hey there. :) Favourite bartender is up and grumpy as the boiler broke down and no coffee. Just another manic monday.”

“You should really move out of that dive. That’s what? Third time this year?”

“Yes, Ma.” Javier snorted and prepared another comeback.

“You know what was great,” Ike interrupted his typing, leaning back in his seat to half face his partner.

“Hmm?” Javier just kept on typing his reply.

“When I had a partner that did his research, had some valuable insight and actually helped with the paperwork. Instead of a lovesick puppy that was making heart shaped eyes at his phone.”

Javier did not make heart shaped eyes at his phone. He was glaring daggers at it, because the person he wanted to take out played hard to get.

“Okay, Kev, when will you be free today?”

“Maybe not today. Maybe we can schedule something for this week?”

Okay, that was the last straw. He would put an end to it. He knew Kev liked him and he liked that dork. Now, they had to take the next step. “Ike, you need to cover for me, buddy.”

Ike might have rolled his eyes or might have said something completely embarrassing like “Go get him, tiger!” And Beckett might have yelled behind after him. He could not recall afterwards, because all he cared, was to get to that man and confront him.

At his door, he took a deep breath, and then knocked once, twice, and finally he heard the familiar: “Coming!”

When Kevin opened the door, he first had this sunny smile and then frowned. “Javi? What are you doing here?”

He wedged himself through the door, looking nervous. “You are having someone over?”

Kevin looked at him, biting his lips and then let a nervous laugh. “Yeah,” he said.

It did not matter. He had come here on a mission. “Kevin, I need to know something.”

He looked hesitant, but nodded. “Sure, shoot!”

“Is there something between us?”

Kevin started to blush furiously and it would have been as cute as any of his gestures, if Javier was not about to loose his patience.

“Uh, could we maybe later--?”

So, he maybe kissed him without asking for his consent. The way Kevin melted against him though, told him it was not the worst of his ideas. Despite wanting to keep tasting those sweet lips for so very much longer, he pulled back a bit, his hands on Kevin’s heated face. “Here is the deal, Kev: I like you, you like me. I think you are too attractive for your own good, your eyes tend to focus on my arms way too long. So, would you please please please say finally yes to an actual date?”

Kevin did not reply, staring with those big, blue eyes at him, but then he finally nodded with a big grin and laugh bubbling out of him.

“So this is ‘Javi’,” they heard an amused voice. When they turned their heads, Kevin’s apartment door was open and a woman leaned in it, with her arms crossed.

Behind her stood three more people, faces in between amused and well, at least distrustful.

Kevin took one of Javier’s hands of his face and slipped it into his own hand. He looked mortified.

“Beagan, why don’t you introduce us to the good detective,” one if the guys, standing in the room, looking very distrustful, said, while glaring daggers.

“Sean, for fuck’s sake, turn it down a notch. Can’t you see our Kevin likes him?” Another man quipped, still seated, with dark hair and frowning at Sean.

“I can see that. In fact everybody can see that. But I’m with Sean here, that guy needs to prove he's worthy of our little--.”

“He is 27, guys,” the woman at the door chimed in.

Next to him, Kevin got redder and redder, his mouth opening several times to interrupt, but the rest just kept talking over his head.

“Kev?” Javier mumbled.

“I’m so sorry, Javi.”

“I’m not. I heard about you from the 54th, Esposito. Kevin is not an easy fling, you hear me?” The last man chimed in, looking as determined as Sean.

“Yo, do I know you?” Okay, this was weird, but it would be a cold day in hell, when he let anyone push him around. “As far as I see it, I asked Kevin on a date, from grown up to grown up and he said yes. So, neither grumpy or angry smurf were ever invited to that party.”

Yeah, looking back at it, he might had gone a bit too caveman on Kevin’s eldest brothers, a fact Kevin still takes great joy in pointing out, but this was his great moment and no one would would ruin that.

And yes, that’s where Sean and Cory walked towards them, fists ready, lips set in a straight line. And Kevin stepped in front of him. “Sean, Cory, Colin, Karen,” he said with usual cheery self. “This is Detective Javier Esposito, homicide, from the 12th precinct and I really like him.” He dragged Javier behind him. “Javier, these are four of my five deranged siblings. They are lovely people, just unnecessarily overprotective and they try to block out the part where I grew up.”

And yes, they went on their first date later that week and no, neither Sean, nor Cory were happy, and insisted on creative death-threats via mail, phone or even in person, but in the end Ma Ryan took one hard look at the man her youngest had brought home and saw the happy smile on her baby’s face and decided for the whole clan he would do for their precious youngest.

 

  
**********************************

 

  
“I never said my family is deranged,” Kevin said and Espo apparently felt the need to placate any upcoming fight with a quick kiss. “Creative freedom, corazón,” he whispered into Kevin’s hair and received an eyeroll for it.

“You had no idea who they were?” This story good better and better. And Espo either totally badass or very clueless.

The Hispanic shrugged, his hand around Kevin. “They were cops alright, but I did not do a background check on him as I wanted him as a boyfriend, not as a potential suspect.” Kevin got a soft look on his face, when he heard that. “And I knew of his dad, but Ryan is not that unusual of a surname, so I only made the connection, when Kev took me to our first Ryan-Sunday-lunch. And up until the Terrence-case--.” Espo stopped, when Ryan stiffened in his arms. He took a deep breath, bit his underlip and then reached for the empty bowls -”Drinks anyone?” - and had slipped out of Espo’s arm quickly to hurry into the kitchen.

Espo took a deep breath and shook his head, his eyes turning hard. “It left scars on both of us, but his family knows I would do anything for him.”

“What happened--.”

“Castle, no!” There was the voice Espo only ever used on suspects. “I get it that you see a great story there, but our misery is not your entertainment. And if I will ever catch you pushing Kevin, I will make sure you are gone from the 12th.”

“Woo, Espo, Javier, come on. Yes, I like a good mystery like any mystery writer, but you are my friend and Kevin - he is obviously a great person, I would never pressure him to anything.” Castle hastened to say. “I’m a writer, not a monster. He just, he seems a very intriguing character and he deserves a spotlight apart from being the youngest of a big cop-clan. He deserves that his story is being told, but only as far as he is willing to reveal.”

Espo leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face, then he nodded. “You are a good friend to him, I appreciate that.”

Kevin returned with another of his creations, shoving it into their hands, babbling something about juices and the right alcohol and temperature and gone was the dark mood again.

Castle let Kevin explain all the ingredients and saw how he lit up, when Richard Castle cared enough to listen to him. He nodded to himself. He had meant what he had said to Espo. Kevin deserved his spotlight and if he would ever trust him enough, Castle would make sure Kevin and Javier’s story would be one of his best works. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ten points to whomever guesses what the 'Terrence-case' means to them.


End file.
